Of Names and Masks
by Kid Darkness
Summary: When Prince Allen gets his first friend, Lavi, he's more than thrilled. After 8 years, a guy named Deak was sent to assasinate the prince to claim the throne. Who's really wearing a mask and who isn't?
1. Chap1Past

**DISCLAIMER: ** _I do not owe Man characters! _=) Now, onto the show!**  
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**=8 years ago=**

It was snowing. I ran and ran through the mushy snow. Passing buildings of my town whilst pretty lights flash as I pass them. King Mana, my father, and I were playing tag. Well,_ I_ was, I'm just making Father try to catch me. But now when I turned around, there was nobody chasing me, calling out my name, saying, "Wait, Prince Allen, stop!" I wonder if Father's hiding around the corner, waiting to catch me off guard… I kept running, trying to stifle my giggle… I didn't see where I was going until... BANG!

"Ouch! That hurts!" Whined a voice. I landed on my butt onto the ice-cold snow. There, in front of me, a boy my age sat on his butt too. Guess we hit each other. He was wearing a brown poncho and had an eye patch below his fishy green bandana. I was embarrassed. But, something else was making me more panicky.

"OOWAH! DON'T LOOK AT ME!" I shouted. I quickly got up and hid behind a lamppost.

"You do know I still can see you behind that lamppost, right?" laughed the boy. I silently cursed myself for my stupidity.

"Y-You're not supposed to look at me," I said. I peeked from my hiding place, only to find out that the boy disappeared.

"Why?" Popped the boy from behind me. I jumped out of shock and covered my face. He turned me around and tried to see what I'm trying to hide by taking my hands off my face. I closed my eyes when I realized he's still holding my hands.

"What's with that mask? Why are you trying to hide your face?" Curiosity crept into his voice.

Coming to the conclusion that he's a foreigner here, I explained that I'm not allowed to show my face to anyone, so I have to wear this white-black mask all the time. Something to do with tradition...

"I think that's cool!" The boy, introduced himself as Lavi, announced out loud. We were sitting outside a bakery shop eating fresh hot bread. At some point somewhere, we made friends, but I didn't tell him that was the prince of the kingdom. As the prince, I'm not allowed to talk to anyone outside the castle ground, so this became my little secret. We talked about random stuff, laughed at jokes and had fun.

"Ah, I can hear my Gramps calling me. Gotta go now, bye!" he said.

"Wait, Lavi, "Grabbing his hand, I asked him something I've never asked anyone before, "we'll still be friends, right?"

He looked at me, his eyes full of happiness, like nobody's ever asked him that question before. At that moment, we're almost alike. He hugged me warmly and swore,

"Allen, I promise, we'll be best friends! Now and forever, how's that sound?"

I laughed at him and accepted his oath. Waving goodbye, we went our separate ways, but his promise etched deep in my heart. From that moment on, I now have a friend.

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Well, that's it for now. Imma go and brainstorm with a cup of Gatorade now! Reviews are ultimately appreciated! :)


	2. Chap2Present

**DISCLAIMER: **I, for one, do not and could not owe Man in any way… Or all hell would break lose :P (Now, let the show begin)

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**=Present=**

In a dark looming castle far away, a man of 19 knelt solemnly in the middle. All eyes were on the coming of age Prince of Sapphire Kingdom. The King bowed down to his heir, as it was protocol to do so. It was also protocol for the Prince to undergo a mission before ascending to the throne. With that in mind, the booming voice of the King rang clear through the darkened halls of his throne room.

"T'is the time, my son, to go out to the world and prove your worth. Are you ready to accept what's coming to you now?"

"I do," said the voice of his son, dressed in black with only his hammer as his weapon of choice. He waited years for this moment to come, of course he'd agree.

"Then, by the power rested in me as King of Sapphire, I now give you this task Deak;" _here it comes._..

"Kill the Prince of Emerald Kingdom and present to us his heart!"

_With pleasure._

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Emerald Kingdom, situated north of Sapphire Kingdom, was as cold as ice. But the people who lives here are contrary wise; warm and pleasant to any outsiders. Living in peace and harmony, they receive guests and outsiders alike with open arms and a smile on their faces. Watching over them was their King Mana, the great and the wise. His ever resilient Head Advisor, Neah, stands loyally with the King. The two of them have safeguarded their kingdom for years now and claimed harmony of their own.

But their Prince was another matter entirely, for no one but the castle personnel have laid eyes on the coming of age Prince. It is said that he wore a mask all the time and never showed his real face at all, not even for the King himself. He was brought up in the castle grounds, forbidden to venture further than the walls that protect the castle. To ensure no one takes a glance of the Prince, there were guards everywhere. For even more protection against assassins or killers, the Prince had a handful of personal guards called The Noahs; an elite group of fighters dedicated to protect the Prince's life as their own. As to their identities, they remained a mystery like their own master.

Deak flipped through this information he has received in his mind. Gargh! It hurts his head. Come on, there _must _be a weak point to infiltrate this stupid 'impenetrable' castle, as the villagers call it. Everything and everyone has a weak point, that's what he learned through the vigorous physical and mental training he's been through. All he needs is something to work with, anything would do...

"Hey, did you hear about the guards' competition?" a villager asked another. Deak's ears perked up. _A guards' competition? _He scooted closer, listening to their conversation.

"Yeah, I heard. It's this competition where every eligible man tries their luck to become a castle guard. The prize is obviously getting a guardsman position, but I heard if you're deemed worthy enough, then King Mana might choose the champion to be in The Noahs! Can you believe it? Quality time with the Prince! ," a woman replied, obviously infatuated with a prince she's never seen before. Weird people…

Then the girls started to talk about the latest fashions and Deak left silently. His mind already forming an excellent plan. So, it's clear to public and an opening to be a castle guard? And even better, to become a Noah means getting closer to his target? Seriously, someone up there must looove him a lot!

The castle was decorated with vibrant colors for the competition. Everyone was everywhere around the castle grounds. There were food stalls and games available, so everyone was kept entertained, both young and old. But what kept everyone's attention was the main event; the Guards' Competition. Contestants were entitled to use only 1 weapon, and Deak patted his hammer in comfort. Around him were other competitors, filled with confidence and ego. Deak was nervous, but put his mind set into his mission before him. Kill the Prince, take his heart. It became a solid stone for him to hold on to, a mantra for his will to go on.

The crowds of people took their places at a large arena. Located in the middle was a large field of grass, flitting with the wind. An appropriate battleground, considering that this kingdom snowed all year round. Must be magic emitting from the King… Or is it from somewhere else? The crowd cheered as King Mana and Neah entered and sat in the middle, surrounded by their guards. The Prince was nowhere to be seen, but that's to be expected; the whole village was here, and he's not supposed to appear in public. _Darn, there goes my plan on accidently killing him during my battle_.

The competition was tough, and everyone tried their best to win the grand prize. It seems that being one of The Noahs was a great honour in this kingdom. Personally, he don't give two hoots about it, feeling bored after each competitor fell to his knees before him. This competition was being a drag, deemed it only another obstacle in his path to victory. In the end, he was announced the champion, but….

"LET ME GET A TASTE OF HIM!" boomed a heavy voice. Deak turned round and his mouth hung loose. Ahead of him stood the largest bulkiest man he's ever seen. _Gods, is he even human?_ The man has dark skin and there were scars everywhere his body. Abnormal muscles ripped his very core, enlarging the already scary-large man. _Oh shit…_

"I AM SKINN BOLIC, A NOAH!" he roared. _Double Shit! A Noah!_

Before realizing what happened, Skinn was in front of him, readying a punch that could send his opponent to high heaven. Deak dodged and aimed his expanded his hammer to Skinn. His hammer made contact with his head, but to his surprise, Skinn didn't move an inch. _Dude, what's his skin made of, lead?_

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Grabbing his hammer so he wouldn't escape, Skinn turned and targeted his punch towards the trapped opponent's face. Deak couldn't get away and readied himself for the massive blow…

Which didn't make contact with him?

"Skinn, how many times does Road have to tell you _not _to lose your temper and reveal yourself?" a voice, soothing to Deak's ears, whispered out. He opened his eyes to see an angel? No, someone clocked in white with his arms outstretched. His hair as white as snow looked familiar to Deak. Where had he seen this before? _Who is this guy?_ Skinn, realizing his mistake, groaned and his eyes not fueled with anger anymore, but with guilt. With a mumbled groan, he walked out of the arena, leaving the crowd to stare and gasped.

Deak heaved a sigh and was about to thank his savior when he saw that the said person wasn't by his side anymore. Confusion took over him, where had that familiar white-haired guy gone so fast? The crowd snapped out of daze and cheered loudly. He saw Neah whispering something urgent to his king, and the king looked at Deak with unreadable eyes. Has he been found out so fast? Before he could run away, a loud voice proclaimed,

"Behold your champion, Deak Bookman, now a grand guard!" All eyes were again on him and the cheering grew louder. He didn't care because all his thoughts were on that strange white savior he could swear he had seen before…

The next day, one of the eldar guards gave Deak full battle armour and a tour of the castle. _Wait till they find out that they're showing their going-to-be-prince's-killer around their very base._

"..And this is our Prince's room. Unfortunately, you can't enter there without authorization, or being a Noah. Any questions?" His tour guide and guard partner, Krory, asked.

"Yeah, why can't we see the prince?"

"Because in tradition, nobody's allowed to see the prince until he gets married. So whenever he goes out, he wears a mask to cover his face. It's harder for us to take a look at him because he'll be at the purification rooms all day. I envy the Noahs, they get to see him."

"Are they with him all the time?" Deak asked, worried that if they did, his plan on silent assassination goes down the tubes. Not that it didn't happen before…

"Hmm.. Maybe not.. Like I told you, nobody goes inside his room without his permission. But outside, the Noahs travel with the prince in the shadows, protecting him. I for one, have complete faith on the Noahs. They're the most strongest of us all guards."

Okay, so they don't go inside the prince's room. If I can… And Deak's mind started to form (yet another) plan, hoping that this time round, it works perfectly.

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The moon shone its brightest, uncovered by the dark blanket of the shy. The night brought peace and pure silence to the land below, guaranteeing a good rest to all those who are wearied of the day. The lilied curtains fluttered with the soft wind in the prince's room. Sleeping soundly, chest rising and falling was the serene looking prince. Undisturbed by the evil that was going to be brought down by the man standing before him, with a knife rose up high, ready to end life. It all comes down to this moment, just let the knife do its dreaded work, and the mission will be complete and he will ascend to the throne. So why is it so hard to do just that?

With trembled hands, he took a breath, ready to cut the thread of life when the moonlight shone through the opened window and fell upon the prince's sleeping form. _He was beautiful _was the first thing that entered his mind. The snowy white hair falls perfectly on his face, a pretty red scar crosses his left face, making him all the more perfect to look at. And that mask, where had he seen that pattern before?

"Aren't you going to kill me already, Lavi? Or is it Deak?" the awakened prince looked up, unmoving. Deak fell back, surprised. How'd he know who he was?

"It's been a long time, Lavi. How are you?" unfazed by Deak's presence, he sat up and smiled. That weirdly familiar smile.

Gathering his voice, he asked,"How do you know who I am?"

"That's easy. I'd recognize that ruffy hairstyle anywhere," the prince laughed. "Though finding out that you were the Prince of the Sapphire Kingdom and your mission is to kill me and take my heart, well, I was surprised myself,"

Deak, filled with surprise, let his instincts take over. Still armed with the knife, he attacked the relaxed prince. The prince didn't move a muscle, and as his attacker came closer, so did the other people who were watching in the dark that whole time. Before he could comprehend what happened, his attack was halted by two guys. He felt a heavy blow towards his chest and fell back. He heard clicks of two guns by both sides of his head and he didn't dare move.

"Hehehe, what should we do with him, Devit? Waahahahaha!" One of the gun holders said.

"I don't know, Jasdero, why don't we blow his brains out? That'll teach him to so stupidly attack Prince Allen!" answered the other.

_Prince Allen?_ Was that his friend from a long time ago? That _Allen?_

"Now what do we have here? A lost bunny? What do you think, Tyki?" Purred a voice next to Allen. There were two girls sitting at each side of him. One looked bored with her purple-blue spiked up hair and the other sat calmly, quietly assessing the situation. It wouldn't surprise Deak if those two can fight, seeing how protective their stance are towards Allen.

"I think it seems that Deak here doesn't know what he just got caught into, Rhode," said the man who landed a punch on him. The man stood tall and proud with wavy black hair, Deak assumes this must be the one they call Tyki. He was wearing a mock face, taunting Deak to come and try to attack the prince again. He was smoking like nobody's business, like he had all the time in the world to kill him.

His other attacker was Skinn, the same bulging muscular guy who fought with him the other day. Skinn looked like a chained animal, waiting for his master's orders to take him and rip him apart. He was panting, obviously trying to control his bloodlust that was growing ever the more second. The sight of these two fighters who are capable of ripping him to shreds without remorse and another two more that surely weren't afraid to use those guns in a blink of an eye sent shivers up his spine. _Oh shit, what have I gotten myself into?_

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_Yeh, finish with Chapter 2! Oh, and my respect for authors worldwide has doublefold. phew! Thank you and hugs to my first review, sammi117. A BIG THANK YOU ALSO TO THOSE WHO ADDED MY STORY, you make me go high. XD Reviews are highly appreciated and bybye for now! =D  
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	3. Chap3Fate

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not owe D. Gray Man or its characters. But I do so owe this pretty plot which came to me in a dream~~ (_Now, bring the curtains up)__  
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_There are about 375 plans in my head right now, and not even one's gonna get me out of here!_ The Noahs and Deak are having a stare down with him, while Allen watched from his bedside, amused by the spectacle before him.

"So, what do you think we should do with him, my Prince?" Tyki asked, breaking the long forgotten silence that covered itself in the bedroom. The awakened prince got up from Road's protective embrace and stalked towards his guard. The only woman sitting aside from Road brought out her opinion,

"According to kingdoms' laws, any assassin caught committing an act of murder is sentenced to death," with this opinion, Deak took a deep breath. _Am I going to die?_

"But since we're not like other kingdoms, we cannot kill another, no matter how evil the guilty party acts." The woman stated. He let out his breath in relief.

"No Lulu Bell, unfortunately, we're not.. But I say we should purify his mind and sentence him to an eternity of scroll-writing, my Prince," Tyki suggested. Then Deak realized that throughout the exchange, Allen's eyes were on him all the time. What was the prince trying to do, bore into his soul? _Well, this may come to a surprise to you, prince, but_ _I have no soul._

Allen, looking like he actually heard what Deak said, smiled that smug smile and said, all ears were on his words,

"I got a better idea: Why don't we make him a Noah?" And…3..2…1...

"WWWWWHHHHHAAAATTTT?" Shouted practically his entire elite guards. (Except Skinn, who only shrug in reply, still cautiously staring at probably his next meal) Tyki grabbed his prince's shoulders, like he just went insane on him.

"Have you finally lost your mind, my Prince? Him? A Noah?"

"Why not?"

"Well, gee, I don't know, let's see, how about maybe the fact that he wanted to kill you in the first place, maybe that!"

"Look at this my way, Tyki," reasoned Allen, looking back at Deak, who was still kneeling down from Devit and Jasdero's guns. "If he has to become one of the Noahs, he'd be spending his whole life in hell, especially with _him _as the leader of Noahs.. What more, you guys can keep an eye on him and if he tries anything funny, you can kill him,"

Tyki took some time digesting his words, and realization appeared much clearer in his face. The other Noahs, however, were not so impressed with only just sweet words, even if those words came out of the mouth of the most famous sweet-talker of the entire kingdom. Road glanced at her would-be playmate, _more like death-mate,_ thought Deak, and grumbled,

"But Prince Allen, that's still not enough! What'll happen if we're not around, let's just say, then what? He could, no; he _will _take your life away just as easily as I could annoy Tyki!"

"Hey!" Tyki countered, "That's it, no more sweets for you, Road." Looking back at Allen, "But she has a point, my Prince, what if we're not there? What'll make him to not take the chance to kill you the moment we leave you behind?"

"Simple, Tyki," Smiled Allen, like he knew this conversation will go through this obstacle. "We'll just have to bind his soul to mine,"

…...

"SAY WHAT NOW!"

"I said, if we bind his soul to mine, he won't kill me without killing himself too in the process. Easy as pie," Allen said, acting as if this was another of his ever day conversation with his bodyguards.

"And how do you propose to do that, Prince? Clarify," Edged Lulu Bell, obviously as distraught as her comrades but forcing her voice to sound leveled. She was always the level-headed one among the Noahs, but there's always a limit to her patience, and Allen was definitely going over it right now.

"O, o, o, I know, I know, we can use mine and Devit's silver bullet, right, right, right?" Shouted Jasdero like a school kid answering the teacher's question. And like any other school kid, he got a whack in the head by Devit.

"You idiot, you weren't suppose to say that!" Said the twin.

"That's right, we use Jasdero and Devit's silver bullet to entwine both mine and Lavi's soul together," concluded Allen.

"There must be another way, my Prince. What'll happen if he decides to take his life? What then? You think he'd just change just because your soul and his are together? Remember, your soul is also as good as dead if anything turns out wrong because this spell is _permanent_. Do you actually think that he can be depended on, the murderer who was going to kill you, that same person?" Said Tyki, worried for his prince's life. Road, Skinn, Lulu Bell, Jasdero and Devit were also worried. This person is not, _not ever_, to be trusted. He's a killer, and he'd kill the prince if he was given a chance, even if that chance appeared to him as suicidal, he will definitely complete his mission. No way, no hows, no what, can this fact be avoided by sweeping it underneath the rug, because the next thing they'll know, the prince could lie dead in god-knows-where place.

Allen, feeling the heavy pressure and the sudden cold and worrying atmosphere around him, contemplated on his bodyguards' words of wisdom. What was he doing actually? It was so obvious that Lavi, now called Deak, wanted to kill him. Lavi was gone, and in his place, was a cold-blooded man that wants nothing more than to kill him. Why was he helping him? It'd be so easy to just say those magical words, and Lavi will be out of his life for good, he will be safe and sound and everyone will be happy… But he won't be…

Never taking his eyes off Lavi, he placed his palm upon the place where his heart rests, hearing his heart beat arithmetically, and solemnly said,

"Yes, I trust him," which by this time, the Noahs gasped in shock. Before they could persuade their prince otherwise, Allen continued, his eyes still resting on Lavi's bottle-green ones.

"Because a long time, he made an oath, an oath to always be there for me, an oath that he would always be my best friend, an unbreakable promise. And I believe him. Even though he was not the same person he is now as he was back then, I _still _believe him. From the bottom of my heart, I remember the oath he has made, and I know he will honour that oath. So therefore, I place my life on the line, for he too, is still my best friend. Still…"

Silence met silence. Deak was shocked. Was the prince, his supposed target, actually putting his life on the line with his? All his life, he had been trained to never forgive, show no mercy, no sacrifices, and no soul. He killed many people, mercilessly, without batting an eyelash or even a turn of his head, like he's been trained over and over and over by Bookman to do so. Within a blink of an eye, he turned from being a child with flitting hopes and bright dreams to a man with only a single solid objective in his mind. His heart almost melted from the sentiment. Well, _almost._

Stripping himself of his shirt and revealing such a perfect body, He said to the twins,

"Jesdero, Devit, if you would so kindly do the honours,"

5 seconds… 10 seconds…. 15 seconds…. Still without any objections from any other Noahs because they knew when their prince puts his mind into something, he'd never let it go, Jasdero pointed his gun at the heart of Allen's while Devit did the same with Deak's. Closing their eyes, they readied themselves for what fate has for them.

**BANG**

Deak's mind suddenly turned blank. Before he completely lost consciousness, he saw Allen falling back, his chest having a bullet wound in it, and blood was spilling out. Road appeared behind the prince, supporting him. She wore a face of pure panic, but her mouth carried no sound to his ears. Tyki's eyes glazed hatefully towards Deak, and then turned to aid his fatally wounded prince. He felt himself drifting away, and finally embraced the darkness with open arms.

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_From the bottom top left right and all over of my heart, I thank you for reading my story. Thank you and kisses (I'm a hug-a-phobic, sorry) to_ **sammi117, SoulNinjas, DGM-medieval, silverXshadow,** _and _**Death-Sama01.** _You guys make me go high high high. XD I'm absolutely sorry if it's too short, I'll work harder! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Have a nice day! =D_


	4. Chap4Cruel and Gentle

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not owe D. Gray Man or any of its awesome characters! _(Now let the players act)

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"_Wait, Lavi, we'll still be friends, right?" Allen looked up at me while holding my hand. I wanted to say no, leave me alone and forget all about me, because when we grow up, I will forget about you and I've got better things to do than making friends. There was no way Bookman or father's gonna let me see him again, so I gotta squash this boy's dream before this becomes serious. But when I saw those beautiful silverish grey eyes, I couldn't do it... Do you know why?... Because, truthfully, deep down, I wanted to feel wanted as well…_

* * *

"HEY, WAKE UP!" A voice pushed Deak back to reality. In reflex, he struggled to get up and fell off the bed… _Wait, bed? _He looked round; He was in a large bedroom, fully furnished, and he was on the soft-carpeted floor. There was a tall man smoking at the corner, watching Deak lifting himself up from the ground. This newcomer had long vibrant red hair and wore an eerie looking mask on the right side of his face.

"Who are you?" Deak asked, pocketing his hammer in case this man came to kill him. He tried recalling what had happened the last time before he fell unconscious. The last thing he remembered was being shot in the chest. Denying himself of that fact, he took out his shirt and lo and behold, there was a mark above where his heart was; an elaborate design of the permanent spell Devit put on him. But the mark looked half drawn, as if the spell was cut in half. Deak placed his hand above it, and a soft tingling feeling shivered his fingers.

"The spell's permanent, so don't even think of removing it." The man made his appearance once again to Deak, snapping him back to the present. If the man saw Deak's disgusted face, he didn't show any sign. He got up and introduced himself,

"I am Cross Marian, stupid fallen Prince of the Sapphire Kingdom," before Deak could answer his insult, a large caliber auto revolver was aimed straight at his head. "That screwed up prince of mine may give you the title Noah, but to me, you're not even close to being one, so listen up; you're going to be trained under me, along with the other Noahs. If you can't hack it, I will kill you. If you try to go against my orders, I will kill you. And if you even attempt to kill the prince, I will slice you down so bad you'll be wishing that you'd never been born, got it?" His threats seem like a lost cause, because if he was killed, Allen would die as well. He would never risk something as precious as the prince. But by the looks on this person's eyes, it made Deak think otherwise. _So now_ _I'm dealing with powerful _and _creepy people…._

"Your training starts now," leading the way, Cross exited the room, followed closely by Deak.

"You still haven't answered my question, Cross; who are you?" this person felt powerful and Deak was sure if it came down to a one-on-one battle, that guy would surely win hands down.

"Why, didn't you find that out already, idiot? I'm the Leader of The Noahs."

He led Deak into one of the training facilities in the castle. There, Tyki was fighting hand-to-hand combat with Skinn, the twins were arguing on what they should have for lunch and the girls were running laps around the large hall. All in all, a perfectly normal day for the Noahs. A clearing of the throat attracted their attention, and Deak felt the atmosphere turned from light and bright to 'Welcome to Hell, please enjoy your stay!' aura. Cross dragged the poor, unfortunate soul across the hall and pushed him onto an arena.

"Skinn Bolic!" Cross bellowed. The Noah grunted in reply as an answer.

"Why don't you finish your little battle with this so-called pathetic Noah? Show him what The Noahs are really made of," their leader ordered. Skinn suddenly looked like he's been given his favourite food, and Deak's about to be in the menu. _This is soo not good…_

After 10 minutes, the fight was still going fierce. Deak was throwing everything he got, attack after attack he inflicted upon the muscular giant, but for every one attack the Noah got, he returned it to the hammer wielder tenfold. It was all Deak could do to both avoid the onslaught and attack the man/beast at the same time. Soon, the bloodthirsty Noah became restless, and his moves more reckless. Deak, stealing that advantage as soon as it made itself appeared, struck at his very core. The result was immediate, the move obviously having a large amount of damage towards the Noah. The other Noahs, who by that time were attracted by the match, were appalled. They were already surprised that this newcomer can even stand after 2 minutes with Skinn, so when it looks like the battle belongs to him; the Noahs nearly fainted with shock. Deak pulled back his hammer, ready to strike the final blow when,

"That's enough, Deak," Cross shouted, obviously ticked off by the 'lucky shot' he pulled. Deak was already panting, but his loss of energy wasn't much compared to the stricken Noah. Skinn, assisted by Road and Lulu Bell, went to the infirmary to get his wounds fixed. Cross immediately gave more exhausting training to the newcomer and Tyki laughed evilly.

"Welcome to The Noahs, Deak!"

* * *

Deak groaned with tiredness. It has been a week since he was anointed as a Noah. Since that day, he has been dragged, punched, kicked and insulted by Cross and the other Noahs. But it wasn't all take and not give. Deak himself proved his worth every once in a while during the many sparrings Cross gave him. He could go head-to-head with Tyki now, and Road was the only one who seems comfortable around him. Although when reminded that he was the Prince of Sapphire Kingdom and he was here only to kill Allen, she put up her guard and never lets it down until told otherwise.

After a short hand-to-hand combat with Lulu Bell, Deak sat down, collecting his breathe. Cross was about to let Deak off until a voice chirped in,

"Let me try sparring with him for one match, Cross," Deak turned only to see the Prince, still with his mask on, in full battle armour. Allen came to see the Noahs train sometimes, only to leave again for some princely purposes. The armour Allen was currently wearing clung tightly to the wearer's body, but gave enough space for him to breathe in. It was obvious that this silvery black armour, although as beautiful as armours can get, was made for attacking and defending at top speed and agility. Allen was holding a large broadsword with a cross embedded on the faces of the sharp blade in a striking position, giving him a full warrior structure. _Damn me if he doesn't look sexy right now!_ Deak shook his head, trying to clear himself of those dirty thoughts. He was the Prince of Sapphire Kingdom, and this was the very person who he's supposed to kill to ascend the throne. He is NOT supposed to be thinking of these thoughts at all! Wait a minute; he could kill the prince right now in battle! The bright idea played itself known inside Deak's head. Cross mumbled an allowance and held Tyki back in case the protective Noah wanted to dive in and 'save' his prince.

The battle began, each fighting its own style of battle. It was obvious that Allen was in a whole different league than Tyki, but the way he fought; it was like watching a dancer dancing elegantly, but more deadly. Soon, it became obvious that Allen was playing with him, dodging his every move and falling for defense instead of attacking. He was even wearing a cocky face! Deak couldn't help but chuckle.

"Are you so sure you can defeat me until you're taunting me this way, Allen?" Ignored the bellowing voice of Tyki saying, "It's _Prince _Allen, numbskull!" Deak was about to strike a blow to Allen's chest when he stopped his attack for a split second. Allen took this chance to go behind Deak and whispered into his ear,

"Of course, Lavi, because I _know _you," Deak turned, only to have his eyesight turned to darkness as he felt a heavy hit upon his head. All he heard was the echo of Cross's drunk laughter and Allen's frantic worry. He felt his head light, and his eyelids turned heavy. _Ugh, not again…._

Lavi woke up, his head still feeling a bit groggy. He was in his bedroom, lying on the soft mattress, with his head bandaged. The blow Allen left him with had to be bandaged, it seems. He was kind of surprised that the prince had that much of strength.

"Are you alright, Lavi?" said a worrying voice beside his bed. He saw Allen standing beside him, wearing what seems to be a large white fur cloak. His hair was combed straight, adorned with a small crystal crown with 3 silver diamonds on the top. His mask was still there, as usual, which made his face all the more mysterious. Deak sat up immediately, ignoring the sharp pain he felt in his head. Allen was about to coax Deak to lie back down when Tyki came into view.

"My prince, it's time for your purification period to begin. Everyone's waiting for you," Tyki said, dragging the bubbling prince away from Deak before he could even open his mouth. When the door closed, Deak heaved a heavy sigh, and laid his head on his hands. _What happened during the battle? Why did I hesitate into striking him when I had the chance? I've never hesitated before. Argh, why did I let such a beautiful chance go like that?…_

"If you keep thinking that deeply, I may be able to hear your thoughts sooner or later," said a familiar voice. Leaning on the edge of the balcony door, Road was staring at the blue sky, seeing the lazy clouds pass by ever so slowly. She was wearing a quaint purple dress, and her hair was still in spikes. Deak growled and turning away, he lied back down before his head could get anymore heavier.

"What do _you _want, Road?" he asked impatiently. All he wants now is to end this nightmare and go home. But seeing how cruel fates can be, he would just have to put up with it. Coming back to his thoughts, he remembered that his soul was entwined with Allen's, so if he was killed, so will he be. That's probably the reason why he didn't kill him back in the arena. Maybe that's why he hesitated. He couldn't find any more reasons to justify his impossible act. _Yes, that's probably it… So why don't I feel contended with just that?_

"Prince Allen was worried," Road's voice attracted his attention. "You were unconscious for 2 whole days now, and throughout that time, he didn't leave the room to eat or sleep," she pondered.

Allen was worried… About him? Why should he do that?

"Tyki was getting restless every time Prince Allen refused to leave you alone. Even when he assured the prince that you'd be perfectly taken care of, he wouldn't leave do that. And it's not like the prince to come visit us when we're in training, even for a little while… What is it that Prince Allen sees in you, I wonder, and…."

Deak didn't want to hear another word. For some reason, Deak's heart felt… What was that word? _Loved._ No! He's the Prince of Sapphire Kingdom; he's not supposed to feel any useless emotions such as this. Emotions are just unnecessary baggages that are meant to be thrown out. Remember who he is: He is the Prince of Sapphire Kingdom, he has been highly trained by Bookman and the best of the best trainers of the kingdom, and his mission is to kill the prince and take his heart. . .Else.

"HEY, I'm talking to you!" Shouted Road into his ear. Deak replied by smacking her head, acting out of habit. Road rubbed her painful head and sat down next to him on the bed. He wasn't use to anyone so close to his proximity before and scooted away from the Noah. She didn't make any sudden movements, _which is good, because if she does, I'm going to kick her out of the bed and leave her there even if she is a girl,_ and continued talking. Deak ignored her and soon fall asleep again.

"Hey, Hey, Lavi! Wake up!" Deak was getting fed up of people waking him up by now, and threw a pillow at the person. A thud was heard and the next thing he knew, he got his butt kicked out of bed and his face made contact with the floor below. Standing before him was the Allen, with his hands on his hips.

"How's your head, Lavi?" He asked. Smiling downwards, he was acting like he wasn't the one who kicked the injured person out of the nice soft bed…

"It's fine now, thank you," Deak answered, a bit angry, "What do you want?"

"I need a favour," Deak's ears perked up. A favour?

"You see… My dad invited another one of the princesses from another country to dinner, and I don't want to be sitting alone on the dinner table, rotting my butt off and smiling like a doll all night,"

"So, you want _me _to accompany you, is that it?"

A blush started to appear on Allen's face, but he hid it well underneath his mask. Luckily Deak had photographic memory, or he would have missed the sudden redness on his face.

"Not accompany-accompany… Since you're a Noah, you have to be around me just in case someone comes to attack me, so there!"

"Why don't you choose some other Noahs to do that for you?" Grumbled Deak. Sure, he'd like to go with Allen and try to somewhat kill him in the middle of the meal, but he was also curious as to why Allen chose him and not the others. _Surely you know I can kill you during the meal and you still want me?_ Allen crouched down to Deak's eye level and gave him the puppy-dog face. _Oh no, not the face, anything but that face!_

"Puwease, Lavi? Puetty please? With cherry and honey on top?" With Allen so close to his face, Deak could feel his growing hotter. He could almost feel Allen's cold breath on his face.

"Okay! Okay! I'll go! I'll go! Just don't come so close to me!"

"Yes! Lavi's coming!" He jumped from Deak's knees, _since when he came that close?_ Allen turned and dragged his unfortunate companion with him towards the dining hall. During that journey, Deak realized something; Allen didn't answer his question…

The dining hall was huge, decorated beautifully with gold and silver streaks to match the kingdom's cheerful atmosphere. A large dining table, surrounded with chairs was the only furniture in that entire hall. Not counting the many colorful bouquets of flowers in every side. Allen took his normal seat at the right side of the table, while Deak took the seat next to him. They were waiting for the king and his guest.

"So, Allen, who's this princess to you?" Deak asked, trying to break the ice between them.

Allen, who was busy sliding his gloved finger on one of the wine glasses, stopped and looked down onto his lap. Obviously thinking about the question.

"She's no one to me, but my dad wants me to get married before he passes the throne to me, so that he knows I would be taken care of when he's… Gone. So he invites other princesses from other countries for me, in hopes of my bride-to-be."

"And by the looks of it, you don't like this at all,"

Allen only stifled a laugh at his best friend's keen observation."It's not that I don't like it; I understand what my dad's trying to do. It's just that, I don't feel any attraction at all towards these princesses. They're so stuck up and egoistic, and I'm sure they're after me only for my throne and power,"

Deak was about to pester him for more when King Mana entered. He sat down in his usual place and looked at Deak with surprise. Before he could order the newly-appointed Noah out, Allen came to his rescue. Wearing his puppy-dog face again, he whispered to his father something. The king was furious, never taking his eyes of Deak, and the Noah shuddered at the dark gaze. When he saw his son's face, his face melted into a more relaxed kind and avoided contact whatsoever with him after that. _Damn, even the king can't deny the face! Looks like I'm not the only gullible one here. _But Deak felt relieved that he was still here by Allen's side and not in the dungeon or sent to Cross for more training. _Brr… Just by thinking of that man makes my skin crawls…._

A gong was sounded and the large doors revealed a delicately dressed woman with long raven dark hair and has fair complexion. She curtsied to King Mana and then to Prince Allen. With a curt nod from the king, she sat down opposite Allen. _Let the boredom begin…._

"So, what do you enjoy doing in your leisurely time, Princess Lenalee?" The king asked in the middle of desert. So far every conversation Deak has seen was started by either Princess Lenalee or King Mana. Allen was doing his part of his conversation; answering questions and asking them back out of politeness, always with the royal aura around him sticking with the gooey sweet smile on his masked face. But that was just it, he was only doing this out of politeness and because he was the prince, he couldn't turn down anything. _Damn, so this was how Allen feels like.. _He spent all his life as prince of Emerald Kingdom in the training grounds, horning his skills and talents to the maximum. So this meal was entirely new to him.

After bidding farewell and wishing his father a weary goodnight, Deak walked back to his room, followed by Allen. He slumped down into his bed and saw the prince taking off his ceremonious crown and shaking his perfectly straighten hair back into its usual wild self.

"Phew, that went well," Allen said with a sigh.

"Yeah, but you were right when you said that you can rot your butt off there. I was beginning to think I was growing roots on that spot there after sitting for so long!"

Allen's laugh was like tinkling bells through the wind, showing his full hearted agreement with the Noah. Somehow, that laugh made him feels warm, although he was in the kingdom if ice and snow. _Groan, what's happening to me? !_ To get his mind off, he blurted a random question out,

"So what do you think of this Princess Lenalee?"

Allen's laugh turned silent, and he heaved another sigh, only this time, it sounded tired and heavy.

"She's nice, different from the other princesses. She's not a stuck-up and she certainly looks like she can stand on her own two feet. She loves horseback riding like I do, and enjoys cooking, which is a surplus, considering my appetite…." Deak agreed with him, seeing how the entire turkey was completely wiped out in less than 30 seconds. He could swear he saw Princess Lenalee's eyes popped right out!

"But I don't feel interested in her at all," ended Allen. Deak's head snapped up so fast he thought he had whiplash.

"What? Why? The way you talked about her makes her sound like the perfect wife for you!"

"I know, but… Something doesn't make me 'click' with her,"

Silence greeted silence. Deak wanted to comfort Allen, but was held back by his mission. He was supposed to kill the prince! So instead, he relaxed and lay down onto the comfy bed. The great moonlight filtered into the serene room, giving a fluffy sleepy atmosphere. Soon, Allen followed his Noah's example and fell asleep on the chair he was sitting on.

Another chance has yet again appeared before him, and Deak took the opportunity. He got up and crept slowly and silently behind the already napping prince. Allen wasn't aware that Deak's hands were around his neck, ready to choke the life out of him. He's going to complete his mission whether he likes it or not. Without hesitation, he tightens the grip around the small prince's smooth neck, closing the breathing track. Then Allen said sleepily,

"Lavi, thank you for being there for me,"

A pause. A blink. A full second. Then he continued his tight hold onto the neck. Instead of chocking him, he wrapped his arms and hugged the prince from behind. He fell to his knees, totally drained of his will power. Silent tears fell from his single emerald eye.

_No, Allen, thank _you_ for being there for me._

On the rooftops of one of the many houses, a man was pacing from house to house undisturbed by the slumbering townsfolk. A face with dark eyes shone with the moonlight, his hands on an elegantly dangerous sword. He looked ahead to see the Emerald castle standing with all its might and glory.

"Just you wait, Prince Deak, I'm coming,"

* * *

My respect for authors worldwide has just increased 5 levels! XD I do so hope you enjoy this story, so far. Thank you and kisses and chocolates to **sammi117, Death-Sama01, SoulNinjas, DGM-medieval, silverXshadow, fallendestinyxx, FullmetalFan16, **and **Carottal **for your wonderful support. YOU GUYS MAKE ME GO HIGH! ! XD Reviews are greatly appreciated. Have a beautiful day! =D


	5. Chapter5Masks

**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not owe D. Gray Man characters or whatnot. _(Now, let the people sing their song)

* * *

"WHERE IS HE?" Shouted a voice ringing through the entire castle. Tyki and the other Noahs were searching everywhere feverishly; the castle personnel were also frantically looking for him. King Mana was already stressed out, while Neah tried calming him down with his favourite tea. Deak was having a nice nap after one of Cross's treacherous trainings which somehow included trying to catch a mountain lion with only a piece of wood. _What the hell's that man trying to do, if not to kill me?_

"Deak, wake up!" Shaking his bed, Road was jumping up and down. Groaning, he recounted how many times she woke him up when he was having a good nap. It has been 2 mounths, 3 days and 1 hour since his becoming a Noah, so that'll make it…

"WAKE UP, STUPID DEAK!" Slammed Road into his ear. Out of frustration, he got up and attacks her using his pillow. He didn't want to literally hurt her, no matter how bloody annoying she was..

"What!" He shouted back.

"Prince Allen's missing!"

In a hurry, he rushed out of his room, with Road tagging along. She explained that he went missing this morning. He wasn't inside his room when Tyki came in to get him for his usual purification and prayers sessions. They're looking everywhere for him, afraid that he might've been kidnapped, or even worse, killed. But that's not possible, since Deak was still alive and up running. So now they're searching for the lost prince who got himself lost.

"… And since we've searched everywhere, we're going nuts right now. Even Cross stopped his drinking to find him too. Cross! Can you believe that? What more, he mustn't venture out of the castle grounds, but we don't know whether he did, or something else, or..."

Deak had enough of her worrying for nothing. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. It calmed her down just a tad bit, and she tried regaining her breath. She was hyperventilating and if this went on, she might have a heart attack before she reaches 30.

"Calm down, Road. I don't know where he might be, but I'll go look for him too, so why don't you go that way and I'll search this way, ne?"

Complying, Road ran across the hallway away from Deak, searching for Allen. Now, to find Allen… Actually, he knew where the mischievous prince went. He always went there to clear his mind or to have some peace and quiet. _Well, knowing Road and Cross and Tyki, I'd go insane too if I don't have anywhere to go to…_

_The air around here was soothing, _Allen thought. _No troubles, no voices, no chains to hold me down. Just me, the beautiful wind, and the sweet scenery of my kingdom, nothing can disturb my sanctuary here…._

"Woi! Beansprout, you there?" _Or not…_

"I know you're there, Allen, so come on down!" Coaxed Deak below the magical cherry blossom tree. The tree was one of the only tress that can live vibrantly in all its beauty around the castle due to the magic flowing from the castle grounds. Allen looked down from where he was sitting comfortably and saw that it was only Deak and not somebody else.

"What if I don't want to come down? What're you going to do?" Taunted Allen, smiling widely in his usual silvery mask. Before he finished the taunt, Deak appeared beside him in a flash. Grabbing his arm so that the playful prince wouldn't try to run away, he laughed victoriously.

With Allen struggling out of his grip and Deak holding on to him with dear life, they didn't realize that the branch they were sitting on was about to crack… And the two tumbled down onto the white soft snow below. Allen groaned with pain, and realized that he was staring face to face with the Noah. Allen's face was so close to him, and he could see his eyes dancing with emotions. They continued staring, completely entranced with one another's eyes and what they hold inside. Deak snapped back first, and Allen got up from Deak as quick as lightning. Their faces were blushing red, but nothing was said between them. The silence became awkward.

"I'm not going back yet," mumbled Allen like a little child. "There's a carnival in the town later, and I want to go,"

"What? No way! Remember what Tyki told you? You can't go into the town, you might get killed!" _Although, a carnival sounds a whole lot more interesting than sleeping off… _A light bulb blinked above Deak's head.

"How about we make a deal, Allen? If you go back and finish your whatchamacallit prayers and blah blah princey business, I'll take you to the carnival, how about that?"

The result was immediate. Allen's eyes lit up like the twinkling stars, like somebody just offered him the key to the eternal heaven of food. He hugged Deak with all his strength and squeaked in a fast exciting voice,

"Really, you really mean it, Lavi?"

"Yes, yes, I do. Now get off me, you're squeezing me to death!"

Allen, who wouldn't be denied his happiness, skipped off to finish his prince business. Deak groaned with heaviness. _Geez, _now _what've I gotten myself into? _He was getting used to his life here in Emerald Kingdom. Allen, after the tiring events of the day, would usual spend his free time with him. The bond between them tightens with every moment spent together. Every waking day, his solid objective of killing his best friend was disappearing slowly. Wait, his best friend? Since when did he decided to call Allen his _best friend?_ He was torn apart by his identities; the prince of Sapphire Kingdom, aimed to kill merciless or the Noah determined to keep Allen alive. The frustrations and anger built up inside him, but he turned a blind eye away, wishing they would melt away like the snow….

Daylight exited, the sun giving its reigning throne to its brother, the almighty moon. Brightly shining stars showed their loyalty to their master in the black-painted sky, bringing about the total serene and peaceful aura. But the atmosphere below the heavens was anything but serene and peaceful. Colourful vibrant colours showed themselves. The pure noises of people enjoying their time in the carnival echoed throughout the night. Among the happy townsfolk were two guys; one wearing a white fur coat, concealing his face with the hood, while the other had a black cloak on.

"So, what do you want to do now, Allen?" Deak asked. He wasn't worried about him and Allen being recognized, due to everyone wearing out of sight costumes and fully decorated masks. It was like going into a cosplay convention. He was shrugging, still not used to the cold in this kingdom. Allen, however, looked totally at nature. He was excited to be even here, outside the castle walls for the first time.

So far, they've played a couple of games. Some people stared at Allen in the wrong way, but the look on Deak's face showed them the right way out. He was not going to let anyone near Allen, good or bad. _I'm doing this only because I want to kill him myself…_ He kept telling himself that even though he's not falling for his reasoning at all. Allen showed a face of excitement when he dragged Deak into a bar. They entered and the sound of drunken men playing poker rang through the busy bar.

"Are you crazy, Allen? Let's get out of here before something goes wrong!" Hissed Deak into his ear. Before he could successfully drag the prince out however, an invitation from one of the players forced the two to go back. Deak was ready to get his hammer out and show them a good fighting time when Allen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The prince sat down and the game of poker started anew.

10 minutes later, everyone in the bar was as silent as mousses. The players were stripped of their clothing and Deak's mouth hung open. Deak quietly snuck beside Allen and whispered,

"Allen, I thought you're just a goody-goody prince. What's up with this?"

"That's because I'm cheating." Allen answered silently, not taking his eyes off his opponents. Deak was taken by surprise. The innocent looking prince was cheating? Really? Then, he carefully observed Allen's playing…. Yes, he was! Right there! Without his fast photographic memory, all he could see was Allen taking some cards. Nothing unusual. But with it, he saw that Allen was clearly cheating if you know what to look for.

"How'd you get so good?" Mumbled Deak. A dark aura surrounded Allen, and Deak was reminded that this was Dark Allen that Jesdero and Devit were talking about. _Freaky…. _ It was scary, seeing Allen like this.

"Don't you ever wonder what I did with my free time before you came? Tyki and I had a great time playing this. Well, _I_ was, I don't think Tyki enjoyed our little games considering him going back to his room with only his boxers on all the time. If I remembered properly, those were the times the maids pass through my rooms more frequently than the usual. So I can't lose in this. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

_Note to self: Never challenge Allen to a card match... Ever._

Carrying his winning money in a bag, Deak dragged Allen with all his strength out of the bar before he could cheat them out of their boxers. He was hungry and was about to ask Allen whether he was too when he realized that the beansprout wasn't by his side. Deak panicked for a second, looking into the crowd. Running past an alley, he found the prince. He was bending down to meet two small children clutching themselves tightly.

"Are you children cold?" Allen's sweet voice said. Deak hid in the corner, watching the caring prince taking out his expensive heavy coat and wrapping it around the two shivering children. They wished Allen thank you, not knowing that he was the prince. Allen then gave his money bag to them, telling them to go home and buy themselves some warm food. They scurried off, wishing Allen a good life. Turning around and giving Deak a warm smile, he told his companion that he was hungry. Deak only smiled back, knowing that Allen's appetite would be coming out to bug him sooner or later.

After a hearty meal, they went to a play. There was a singer, a girl of Allen's age with chocolate brown hair and sweet looking eyes. Deak sat down next to Allen. Allen tried his best to control his shivering. Only wearing his one layered black shirt was not going well to preserve his body heat. He didn't want to bother Deak with this trivial thing. But his companion, observant as he was, took his cloak out and placed it around the smaller one wordlessly. Allen was surprised, but smiled a thank you at his best friend. Deak only turned away. He was far from the edge and he was sure if he sees that smiling face again, he'd go over it and never come back. He was still struggling to control himself, reminded that these 3 hours with the prince was an opportunity of its own, but he hasn't been taking it. Every time Allen had his back turned, he couldn't bring himself to take his hammer out and kill him. _Why?_

The stage turned dark, and a spotlight was turned on to show the pretty singer. The sweet strumming of a guitar was heard accompanied by sister silence. The young brown eyed girl starts to sing, her voice filled with emotions.

_Kiss me sweet __  
__I'm sleeping in silence __  
__all alone __  
__in ice and snow_

He can't be doing this because he wants to be the one who'll kill him. He's not doing this only to go closer and then terminate him when he's distracted. That much he has concluded. So, why? Why is it that when he sees his face, all his determination dissolves with the wind? He sneaks a glance at Allen, whose eyes were close, his face so angelic. This was yet another chance, but yet again, he couldn't do it. Gritting with frustration, he ran out, ignoring the surprised voice of Allen calling his name. Calling _Lavi._

_In my dream __  
__I'm calling your name __  
__you are my love_

He ran and ran till he reached a river. Far away from the town, he sat down and finally; He broke down. No matter what happens now, he has to know, he has to know who he truly is. No matter how many times he try and try to run away, the problem will only come back, never disappearing like he wanted it to. While silently fighting with his inner self, he didn't bother realizing that Allen was sitting beside him. Without a word, Allen embraced Deak, silently comforting him.

"Allen, answer my question, truthfully…. I want the truth and only the truth." Without waiting for Allen to comply, he asked that question that's been haunting him for a very long time.

"Who am I?"

_In your eyes __  
__I search for my memory __  
__lost in vain __  
__so far in the scenery __  
__hold me tight, __  
__and swear again and again __  
__we'll never be apart_

"Why, you're Prince Deak, the prince of Sapphire Kingdom, of course," Allen said, straight up. Deak breathed in silently. Was that the answer that he was waiting for? Deak tried pulling away from Allen, but was only held back again in Allen's beating chest. So close to him, he could hear the beating heart of Allen.

"But to me," continued Allen. "You'll always be Lavi…. My best friend,"

Then Deak really pulled back. That doesn't make any sense. He's Deak, but he's also Lavi? Allen showed a shadow of a smile and placed his cold hand upon Deak's chest. He saw the other half of the spell embedded into Allen's chest, forever as a reminder of their eternal bond. His oath, his 8 years long oath. Forever in his heart.

_If you could touch my feathers softly __  
__I'll give you my love __  
__we set sail in the darkness of the night __  
__out to the sea __  
__to find me there __  
__to find you there __  
__love me now __  
__if you dare..._

"Lavi, can you feel that? Your own heart beating? Well, let me tell you a secret; that's not your heart inside you, it's mine. I gave you my heart, Lavi."

Then.. Is he trying to say what I think he's trying to say? No, don't say it, don't say it! If you say it, something might go wrong, you won't go back! _Say it! Say it! _Screamed a voice in his head. _Say it, you know you have to! No more running away, face him, look at him! Admit that…_

"Allen, I love you!" He all but screamed.

He kissed Allen right there and then, and as quickly as it started, it ended. Allen, shocked of his confession, smiled a _true _smile. Deak, no, _Lavi, _touched by his smile, took hold of Allen's mask and taking it away. Allen held no resistance, and putting away the mask, he finally sees his face in all its brilliance. That sweet smile matched his perfect face with the beautiful red scar. Slowly, Allen placed his arms around Lavi's neck and pulled him closer. Lavi savored that moment, baring his entire soul to Allen. The distance between them slowly disappeared as their lips made contact with each other. A true kiss. Lavi was entirely broken down, but Allen picked up the pieces and showed him what he truly was. He gave something to Lavi that nobody ever gave: _Love._. He forged this piece of memory into his mind, never ever going to forget how sweet and soft Allen's lips felt, never forgetting the warmth Allen was giving him, never forgetting how indebted he was to him….

_Kiss me sweet __  
__I'm sleeping in sorrow __  
__all alone __  
__to see you tomorrow_

Reluctantly, they parted, their cheeks flushed red. Forehead to forehead, he swore, this time with all his soul,

"Yes, I'm Deak… But for you, and only for you, I will be forever Lavi."

Allen looked at his Noah, and gave him a light kiss. Even that small kiss kindled a spark in Lavi's heart. But what Allen said later set his whole body on fire,

"I love you too, my heart,"

_In my dream __  
__I'm calling your name __  
__you are my love__  
__my love..._

Together, both Princes sealed their new bond with a deep, loving kiss. Nothing can keep them away now, forever together, together forever. In the moment, Lavi nearly didn't detect the looming shadow in the distance, aiming for Allen. Out of reflex, he pushed Allen back and brought out his hammer in a split second. A clash of metal versus metal rang thoroughly through the night. A young Japanese man holding a sword blinked back in surprise. Lavi, also surprised by this man's presence, fell back and stood guardedly in front of Allen. Allen, already with his mask on, was standing ready, his sword at striking position.

"Prince Deak?" The newcomer asked. Lavi put his hammer back into the holster as a sign of friendship.

"Yes, it's me, Yu, now sheath Mugen, if you don't mind,"

"Stupid rabbit-prince, don't call me that!" The ticked off man replied, but complied with his prince's orders. Sheathing Mugen, he came closer, but kept his eyes on Allen, who still had his sword at ready. Lavi gave his new lover a harmless look and Allen hesitantly put his sword away. Lavi believes an introduction has to be made, before the two released their weapons and all hell would be breaking lose.

"Allen, this is Yu Kanda, my man-servant," In answer to that, Kanda struck a punch at Lavi's head.

"Haha, okay, okay, Yu… He's my personal guard as the Noahs are to you," explained Lavi to the now confused Allen. "He's the best swordsman and protector of my kingdom, and has been guarding me faithfully ever since I was young. He even trained me in my early days too, so he's more of a friend than a guardian,"

"He sounds like a dog," Allen smirked. Angered, Kanda took out his Mugen and Allen his sword. They both stared at each other, calling the other names.

"I dare you to say that again, beansprout,"

"Oh, then I'm sorry; I forgot that people like you are slower than the rest of us,"

"Eh hehe, now now, you guys just met, now why don't we get together…" Lavi tried to break them apart. This is not going well for a first impression…

"Shut up, Stupid Rabbit!" Threaten both the armed men. He sighed, fed up of listening to the ball of insult being thrown from one to another. Silently, he put his arm round Allen's shoulders and pushed him behind him, protectively. Wearing his serious look, he faced his guard.

"Yu, what are you doing here?"

Kanda only che-ed in reply. "I came because the king sent me after you. Since you didn't send your weekly report and there's no news about Prince Allen's murdered, the king was worried that you failed. So they had to send me in to check on your situation.. And by looking at how your arm is still around that beansprout's shoulders, I'd say the situation's in deep shit,"

"Who'd you calling beansprout?" Allen blurted out, trying to get away from Lavi's hold.

"And I also hold a message from the Earl," continued Kanda.

Allen suddenly turned cold. He gritted his teeth and the hold on his Crown Clown sword turned into a death grip. The atmosphere just turned from being warm into hellish-cold.

"Who's the Earl?" Lavi enquired. But his question was shifted aside when Allen came forward; all childishness has disappeared from his face.

"What does _he _want?" Allen's voice dripped with pure acid. Never had he seen the innocent prince sounded so deadly before.

"He says he's coming for you in more ways than one now. So better put your guard up," relayed Kanda who also wore a serious look.

"Can somebody tell me what the heck's going on?" Said Lavi out of confusion. Without taking his eyes of Kanda, Allen explained,

"In the game of chess, you may recognize him as the Sapphire Kingdom's rook piece. He's a strong opponent of mine, and we were at war at each other's throats 2 years ago,"

"Wait, he's from _my _kingdom? And how is it then that I've never heard of him?" Lavi tugged deeper, obviously uncomfortable that Allen knew something about his kingdom that he, as the prince, didn't.

"The Earl and his pawns have been kept a secret from you, stupid rabbit, because it was nothing of your concern… Yet. When the Earl received a heavy blow from Prince Beansprout here, he had to go back into hiding, healing his wounds. The king sent you to finish the job, but now…"

"But now, it seems the Earl wants to play the game again," concluded Allen.

"There's something else… Something you're not telling me, isn't there, Allen?"

Kanda sheathed his Mugen again, and Allen's face turned to thoughtfulness.

"Lavi. How am I going to say this… You see, my Noahs… Tyki, Road, Skinn, Lulu Bell, Devit and Jasdero…. They all came from _your _kingdom_….._"

"….. What?"

"The heavy blow, as Kanda here said, was from me. Using Crown Clown, I can 'exorcise' the evil from their bodies without damaging them, freeing them from the Earl's power… But I couldn't save all of them. The Earl retreated before I could do so. The saved Noahs followed me back and swore loyalty to me, as their savior…"

This was too much for Lavi to hold in all in one go. His knees gave way and he fell down the soft snow beneath him. Kanda strode towards his prince, and reluctantly say,

"You know what all this means, right, Prince Deak?" The person in questioning looked up and stared at his guardian's eyes, finding the truth. Wishing that the truth wasn't real, but could not find any evidence otherwise. In defeat, he concluded,

"I was only brought here to finish the Earl's work, not to complete my mission. This had nothing to do with my coronation, my ascension, my mission…."

A moment of silence. Kanda didn't want to openly agree with Lavi's conclusion, but he knew. He just knew. Allen sat next to Lavi and hugged him in comfort. Disgusted by such public display of affection, Kanda turned away, but never left his prince's side.

"Lavi, I know this is hard for you, believe me. I'm sorry for bringing you in this…."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Finding his voice, he shivered. The day was going well, him confessing his love for Allen and him receiving love from his new lover. But all that happiness and bliss was quickly forgotten when he was told he was only here to be used. The feeling of knowing you've been used for other people's benefits, covering it up with fake smiles on those fake masks. The worse part? That he actually _believed _them…. It was Lavi's turn to grit his teeth, but never broke into tears. He used them for Allen, he'll never waste them on a thing like this. He balled his fists, trying to control his anger. After what seems like a lifetime, Allen pulled back and looked at his best friend.

"What are you going to do now, Lavi?" he asked. Even though he knows it'll hurt him to ask that, but it must be done. Like a jab of injection: Painful, but sooner or later, it must be done.

What _can _he do now? All his life, he has been used, betrayed the very ones he trusted. He wanted to run away, take Allen with him and forget all the troubles and problems. He wanted to live a life of bliss, with no chains of responsibilities bringing him down. But what he wanted…. Wasn't what he needed. Of that, he accepts. He needed to clear his head and think carefully, strategically, better. Will he be Prince Deak of Sapphire Kingdom, ready to kill without remorse? Or is Lavi, Noah and lover of Prince Allen of Emerald Kingdom? On one hand: A life of being as King Deak of his own kingdom, a dream worthwhile of chasing ever since he was young. But that was the end of it; it was only a dream, an illusion ready to end. On the other: To abandon all that he was taught and embrace himself fully as Lavi, sworn friend of Allen, a Noah….

"Allen, I'm sorry," Lavi confessed. Allen, who was fully prepared for anything, wasn't prepared for this at all. He was going to leave him? Bowing low, Allen closed his eyes; ready for those parting words he knew would come sooner or later. Seems like it's going to come sooner. Allen felt a soft hand caressing his cheek and his chin was tilted upwards to meet bottle-green eyes; loving and enticing. Lavi smiled a genuine smile towards him.

"You'll have to put up with me from now on, Allen. Please take care of me,"

Allen's frown turned upside down within a second. Laughing silently, he embraced Lavi and kissed him fully. They can feel each other's smile melting into the kiss, and they were enjoying every moment of it. Yes, he is Lavi, and nothing can ever change that now. Kanda cleared his throat, and the two new lovers parted.

"Stupid rabbit-prince, you still haven't answered the beansprout's question. What'll you do now?"

"Easy, Yu. You go back and tell them everything you've seen. That is why you came, isn't it? I really don't care about what they're going to do in reply, although I can imagine what Bookman's reaction is going to be… Brr… But my decision still stands: My life here in Emerald Kingdom is my only life from now on," Said Lavi with all the dignity he had as a now-fallen prince. Kanda wore a face of contentment, expecting that kind of answer from his cocky prince. Kneeling with one knee, he put his hand on Mugen and swore,

"Very well, Fallen Prince of Sapphire Kingdom. But know that if ever you need my assistance, you need only to call my name,"

"You mean Yu?" joked Lavi, ruining the epic moment.

"No, not that one, so shut up." Looking at Allen, he gave him a death stare that could kill mostly anyone. But since Allen wasn't just anyone, he stared right back with his own."Oi moyashi, take care of this stupid prince for me while I'm gone, got it?"

"I will, BaKanda," Allen smiled icily, but knew that the little beansprout will keep true to his words.

With a nod from Lavi, Kanda disappeared with the wind heading back to his home. _No, that's not my home anymore._ Rounding Allen's shoulders with his arm, he led him back to the castle.

"Let's go home, Allen,"

* * *

_Heey, so this is my first fanfic with fluff watchamcallit inside, so don't hate me if I wrote something wrong! XD The next chapter might take a while, my school's coming soon. *sob sob* But I give you my Scout's Honour that I'll update this as soon as you can say "I love Allen and Lavi!" Thank you and kisses (still a hug-a-phobic!) to_ **sammi117, Death-Sama01, SoulNinjas, DGM-medieval, silverXshadow, fallendestinyxx, FullmetalFan16, Carottal, Anim110,** and **alwaysstaygray **for your loving support.


	6. Chapter6Dark Shadows

**DISCLAIMER: **_I do not owe D. Gray_ Man_ or any of their characters _(Now let the villain play his part)

* * *

It was snowing hard, bringing Jack Frost along accompanied by the shivering coldness, but it was nothing compared to the atmosphere inside the castle. King Mana sat on his throne, bearing the heavy weight of his kingdom's serious problem: The steadily-growing rate of his peoples' deaths. One at a time dying was usual, but 3 people coincidently dying in a short amount of time was suspicious. To make matters worse, these death occurrences have been going on non-stop ever since 3 days ago. The weary king heaved a heavy sigh, trying to find the source of this strange problem. Head Advisor Neah could only offer comfort and a few wise counsels to the king.

In Prince Allen's room, the atmosphere was nowhere better. The unmasked prince of Emerald Kingdom was more worried than he ever was, reviewing his Noahs' daily report on these deaths. The same thing was written down in those reports; people dying in the middle of the night either in their sleep or found murdered in a dark alley. He knew, for sure, who the mass murderer was. _So he finally made his first move…._ He was in the middle of reading Skinn's report when twin muscular arms circled his neck comfortably, but the prince was far from being relaxed at the action.

"Hey Allen, any deeper thoughts you think of, I'd be buried in with them," spoke a loving voice to his ear.

Allen leaned back when his new lover, Lavi, started to gently massage his knotted shoulders. He felt every back muscle relaxed under his soothing touch. With hesitation, Allen warded off Lavi, wanting to continue his work. As expected, Lavi left him alone… Until he carried the tired prince bridal-style towards the bed. Allen was taken aback with surprise, but struggled to get off. He hid his growing blush, hoping Lavi didn't notice how red it was. Lavi dumped him onto the bed unceremoniously, and held Allen's hands on either side of his body to keep him from getting up.

"I can see your blush, beansprout," whispered the man above the annoyed prince. He kissed the white-haired man lightly on the lips, playing with him to ease his tension.

"It's Allen, stupid rabbit," retorted the young fellow before capturing his lover's lips once more, now kissing back more passionately. For now, his troubles will melt away and all those worries would fly through the window. Allen's hands travelled over Lavi's neck, never breaking the kiss. He could feel the elder one smiling with triumph, but decided to let this one pass. Right now, Lavi was the only thing in his mind, not that he minded it at all.

After sometime, they lay on the bed side by side. Lavi wrapped his hands around the small waist of his lover, whose back was turned away from him. He trailed light kisses on the smooth skin of the prince, wishing this moment would never end. He was selfish, he knows. He was happy that he had finally found someone who loves him for who he actually was, but that said person had other important matters in his mind currently. He wanted Allen all to himself, but that would mean his people came second place. Allen himself will never allow that, no matter how much Lavi's kisses made his heart jump like a jackrabbit, no matter how much he would rather live wrapped around those strong arms that will never let him go, no matter how much he loves him…..

"Hey Allen," said Lavi.

Allen turned around and looked at his best friend in the eye, watching the same emerald eye that he fell in love with fired up with emotions. Lavi kissed his forehead, to show his assurance that he'd stand by his side now and forever.

"I love you,"

Allen's stomach did a giant flip, and he couldn't feel his heartbeat. Touched by this confession, he caressed his lover's cheek with tears dangerously close to coming out. A smile, a real one, appeared on both their faces, masks now cracked open and laid bare.

"I love you too, Lavi," confessed Allen. He knows this to be true, and the two lovers sealed their eternal bond with a kiss that could melt even a stoned heart.

The next evening, Lavi was busy cleaning his hammer after the strenuous training with Cross. _I swear, even after all this time, deep in my heart, I swear, HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!_

"Wei stupid rabbit, you there?" He looked up from his seat to come face-to-face with the person that made his life a personal portable hell. _Speak _of_ the _(literally) _devil._

"What do you want, Cross?" growled Lavi, trying to keep his impatience with his leader. Cross placed his hands into his pockets and regarded his Noah as skimped meat. He walked away, saying,

"Follow me; we have orders from King Mana to undergo night shifts from now on to avoid more of those stupid mishaps happening again," explained the leader, leaving Lavi to catch up with him. With a sigh, He placed his hammer back into the holster and dragged his feet reluctantly. _There goes my quality time with Allen._

It wasn't snowing anymore, but the ground was covered with thick fresh snow. Nobody was outside their homes in fear of the murderer lurking around the corner. Cross and Lavi walked past without any incidents. Till they heard a muffled scream for help. With swift speed, they ran to the source of the cry, and found that a villager lay dead on the floor. His body was covered with blood, and there were visible scars on his neck and face. Cross was about to investigate the dead when the sound of laughter came from the roof above them.

Acting out of instinct, Lavi took out his hammer, ready for an attack. Cross did the same with his dependable gun and stood beside his Noah. On the roof stood two large figures, the moonlight giving out their features. One had long hair tied into a neat ponytail and was wearing a monocle. The man had long thin eyes, giving him the look of a predator ready for the hunt. He looked similarly like Tyki, but an older version. His partner was huge, with a buttoned-up coat and a top hat. But what's scary about this grotesque figure was his incredibly large smile; it looks like it was permanently embedded into his dark-skinned face.

"Goodnight, Cross! Who's this with you?" Said the creepy figure with the creepier smile.

"Goodnight to you too, Earl, it's been a while," Cross answered coolly, but his stance said otherwise. Whoever these men were, they definitely must not be trifled with. _So this is the Earl that Allen was talking about._

"Isn't that Prince Deak with you?" voiced his partner in the monocles. He took a step forward, squinting his eyes to get a better look of Lavi. The person in question stood forward bravely and announced the same thing he did to Kanda,

"I'm Lavi now, Noah of the Emerald Kingdom, who are you?" His outward announcement took the intruders by surprise, but they held their ground. The man answered back with the dignity and flair of a royal person,

"I am Sheril Kamelot, Noah of Sapphire Kingdom. Loyal servant to the great Earl of Millennium." He took something that looked like a letter and threw it down towards the two armed men. Cross, being wary, took the letter carefully thinking it to be a trap. Lavi kept his eye on the intruders. Cross's face twisted in confusion. He handed the sealed letter to Lavi, and found that the letter was for Allen. They looked back, but found that the Earl and Sheril had disappeared. Cross retreated back, paying his attention to the dead body. Without looking up, Cross ordered the Noah to get back and give the letter to the prince. For some unknown reason, Lavi pondered on the fact that giving this letter to Allen is a foreboding. Somewhere in his head, he knew that something bad's going to happen, something that's going to affect him as well as Allen. But what else could he do right now besides giving Allen the letter and stay by his side as long as fate allows?

When Lavi entered Allen's bedroom, he saw that the busy prince was still drowning in paperwork. Allen, sensing Lavi's strange hesitation, stopped his current work and smiled worriedly.

"What's wrong, Lavi? Is everything alright?"

With trembling hands, he handed the letter to him, never meeting those silvery grey innocent eyes. Allen took the letter and frowned, confusion etched on the young one's face. He opened the letter and began to read it. Lavi brought his head to the side, giving Allen some personal space. After some torturing minutes, Allen's hands started to tremble lightly, his face hidden by the bangs of his silver hair. Lavi took him by the shoulders, wanting to comfort him with soothing words. But none came out. The atmosphere turned darker and heavier than it already was.

"It's from the Earl, isn't it?" came a shuddering voice, breaking the solid silence in the room. Lavi could only reply by nodding his head, afraid that he'd say the wrong thing. Allen brought his attention back to the written letter, wishing that the contents weren't what he thought it said. Not trusting his voice, he only handed the letter back to Lavi for him to read.

Dear Prince Allen,

I'm sure it came to your attention that the merciless killings that's been occurring ever the more have been done by me, the Earl. But don't fret your pretty little face, for I have the perfect solution to your dilemma:

I assume that Prince Deak is still under your care. Send him back to Sapphire Kingdom, to me, and your people will be left alone. I really do hope you comply to my request as fast as you can, unless you want to hear of more deaths!~~~

Earl. ^.^

_Say what? They want me back? _So many thoughts ravaged through Lavi's mind, too many unanswered questions blocking his calm mind. He couldn't believe that he'd kill to get their prince back, but reality is hitting him harder than ever. Allen, with his back turned against him, was shivering. Lavi knew what his lover was thinking of. He knew that Allen would gladly send him back to Sapphire Kingdom to save his people. Within a bat of his eyelash, he'd cut all connections with the fallen prince and walk the way of the responsible Emerald Kingdom prince. Like before, he would choose his people over Lavi, knowing that it was his duty to do so. Lavi couldn't blame him, for he would do the same thing if he were in his shoes. But it didn't hurt less knowing that. In fact, it only bled him more as he faced the fact he was trying to not to comply all this time as his lover. The fact that he has to finally accept with a heavy heart:

_In the end, I'll always take 2__nd__ place in his heart._

So it really took Lavi by surprise when Allen suddenly hugged him with all his strength; like he was afraid that if he let go, Lavi would disappear. He felt the smaller one shaking with sadness, and small drops of tears fell upon his shoulder. Lavi gathered back his wits and hugged him back, showing that he was still here for him, protecting him with his life.

"I don't want you to go, Lavi…. Please don't go," begged Allen who was trying to keep his composure. Lavi felt his heart renewed with light love, and pushed Allen back to look at the stricken face. By the look on his face, he really wanted Lavi to stay. This itself gave Lavi hope and faith. He embraced his lover whole heartedly.

But deep down, Lavi knew what he must do….

On the full moon of the great mother night, Allen slumbered peacefully, his waist covered guardedly by the strong arms of his lover. While the stars still tried to outshine each other in the black wings of the sky, a certain red-headed person awaken from his disturbed sleep. He watched as his lover's body fell up and down rythematically, following the deep breathes. He was afraid that if he sees the slumbering face he fell in love with, he'd never do what he knew what he must do. He quietly brought his hands back to his side. Before he got up and left silently, he gave one last kiss on the sleeping boy's cheek, putting all his emotions in the action. A gentle smile ghosted on the figure, but still continued sleeping, dreaming sweet dreams. Without further ado, the man crept out of the bedroom and left Emerald Kingdom. Never once did he turn back.

Halfway through the emotionless journey, Lavi was intercepted by the tall and proud Noah he had come in agreements to: Tyki.

"You know he'd wake up screaming your name when he realizes you're not there, right?"

Lavi could only shrug in reply, showing the man that he knew that already and would still risk it. Tyki sounded a sigh, and turning away, walked in front of him.

"Come on, the sooner we get to Sapphire Kingdom, the better." Stated Tyki, shocking Lavi.

"N-No, Tyki. You have to stay here, what will Allen do without you?"

"Heh, I think maybe you should try diverting that question to yourself, Lavi. Besides, if you think I'm just gonna let you waltz away without any partner by your side to save your ass in a fight, you got another thing coming."

Knowing it to be futile for Lavi to persuade Tyki otherwise, he fell in step with the Noah. Truth to be told, he'd rather very much wanted a companion by his side right now, and he knew that his life can be trusted in Tyki's hands. The man and he had been through some hard times together back in Emerald Kingdom, and the two was as close as friends could possibly be. So together, they marched forward, facing the harsh fate that was waiting patiently for them in Sapphire Kingdom.

"Hullo, my Prince Deak. I see you've brought a companion along." Said the Earl as soon as they had reached the palace Lavi was brought up in. They were currently in the throne room, but since everyone was still asleep, there was only them facing the Earl. The leader of the Sapphire Noahs stood ahead of them, his face now looking like the Cheshire Cat from Wonderland. Drifting around him, hiding in the shadows, were the Sapphire Noahs. Tyki gave a small nod of the head to tell Lavi that he knew that they were surrounded too.

The Cheshire Cat lookalike grinned evilly,"Let's get rid of him, why don't we?" With a snap of his gloved fingers, a powerful punch sent the surprised Tyki into the back wall. An equally evil grin appeared on the attacker's face, and Tyki gulped down with horror, his eyes widen with what seems to be fear and hard hatred, as he was face-to-face with the one and only

"Hullo, we meet again, _brother_,"

Tyki couldn't do anything as he was chocked by Sheril Kamelot. Moments later, Tyki felt his conscience leaving him and his limp body fell to the ground. He was taken away by his brother before Lavi could comprehend what had just happened to his partner. With anguish, he released his hammer, ready to fight. The Sapphire Noahs melted out of the shadows when they deemed it dangerous for their leader. Two hooded figures appeared by Lavi's side and held him down tightly. He tried to struggle, but his efforts were in vain as their grip was ironclad hard. The Earl took his time coming down from the throne, savoring every struggling moment of his everlasting prince. The leader of the Sapphire Noahs brought out a gigantic sword out of midair and Lavi stopped his futile struggles. The mysterious appearance of the sword wasn't what captured his attention, but the sword itself. Lavi could have sworn that this sword that the Earl was now holding was the exact duplicate of Allen's Sword of Exorcism except for the inverse of colours. Whereas Allen's mighty sword had a black cross, this one had a white one.

"This sword, although has the opposing colours as its twin, has the same abilities; eliminating the powers of a Noah… So let's say I did this…." With a long swipe of the sword, he cut through Lavi's body without warning.

The first thing Lavi felt was the immense excruciation that shot through his chest. His heart began to beat at its maximum rate, and his body turned red hot. It felt like a part of his soul was being grabbed out from his entire body and taken out without remorse. A painful scream echoed through the hallowed throne room as Lavi felt himself drowning in the sea of darkness. All his memories; Tyki fighting with him, Road annoying him to wake up every morning, Skinn giving him sweets, Cross training him and Lulu Bell instructing him. All the times Allen looked at him lovingly, the smile on his face, the touch of his hand, the pure bared emotions in his swirling eyes, the precious moments that they confessed their love for each other and ending their tiring day with a blissful kiss. All those times, those fragments pieces of the memory puzzle, all broken down like it was made out of thin glass. Those shards of splintered memories faded into blackness, leaving an empty emotionless man kneeling on both knees with his head bowed down. The half seal on his chest faded away like it wasn't there in the first place. The Earl laughed out loud, and announced lavishly,

"Welcome back, Prince Deak," as he looked straight into the emerald eye of the now merciless killer of the risen prince of Sapphire Kingdom.

* * *

The next evening, after Allen had finally accepted that Lavi returned to his kingdom to save his, he was called upon by the king's messenger. He was summoned to the throne room. Emotionlessly, Allen arrived and sat beside his old father. King Mana has aged so much, but his eyes were still filled with youth and love as he cupped his only son by the cheek.

"You know I have not much time, my son," started the king. Allen brought himself to the present, pausing his thoughts on Lavi. He was now suspicious, knowing that his father's tone of voice was the same as when he was about to pass judgment on a poor villager. He readied himself for his father's next words. Really, compared with the pain he felt in his heart right now, anything his father will say would not even affect him. But what the king said next gripped his heart to the very core.

"I have made a decision: You are to marry Princess Lenalee," concluded King Mana.

* * *

_Wakakakakaka, I'm sosososososososososo sorry if I made you wait so long. School's in, and it's haunting me! Hope you enjoy the chapter _(yeah, it's emo-ish). _Thank you with cherries on top to _**sammi117, ****Carottal**, Death-Sama01, SoulNinjas, DGM-medieval, silverXshadow, fallendestinyxx, FullmetalFan16, Anim110, **alwaysstaygray**_**, **_**3littleredbird3****, ****infinityXnova, Foshidelic Reika, MercenaryCrime, kh07gl** _and_** ME **_for your love and support. See you on the next ! PS-Respect for authors has levelled up._


	7. Chapter7Final Curtains

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not owe D. Gray Man or any of its characters _(Now let the final act commence!)_

* * *

The castle was brisling with excitement for the coming wedding. The people were doing something for their one and only prince's wedding with Princess Lenalee. Everyone everywhere was overjoyed for this wondrous occasion. _Well, almost everyone…._

The masked Prince Allen was hiding in his bedroom, trying to act busy with the mountain of paperwork he had to do. He had locked himself in the room for days now, not getting involved with this arranged marriage that his father had prepared. When the king's messenger arrived once in a while to inform Allen of the wedding's preparation process, Allen only nodded his head in reply and left it there. His body was still here, but his heart and mind was somewhere else. The only thing running through his mind all the time was his lover named Lavi. He couldn't bring himself to blame the runaway, for he knew, somewhere deep in his heart, that he'd do the same thing too. But knowing that didn't fill the empty gap in his heart. And it didn't quite help that he was forced to fill that gap with someone he didn't even love truly.

There was nothing wrong with Princess Lenalee; she was strong willed, responsible and loving. Truly, a perfect princess and a perfect wife…. Just not for him. A knock on the door was heard and in came the princess in question.

"Allen, may I speak to you?" Princess Lenalee, dressed in her evening gown, asked her groom-to-be as she entered his bedroom. Allen gave her permission and she sat down by his side. He didn't lift his head once to acknowledge her and kept his attention on the paperwork. Princess Lenalee took his silence as allowance to talk freely.

"Is there something the matter?"

Allen finally stopped his tiresome writing and smiled at her sweetly. There was no way he would want to trouble this innocent princess who knew nothing of his current troubles. He shook his head, telling her not to worry about such trivial things. Lenalee only pursed her lips and her eyebrows came together, showing her distrust in Allen's light words. Allen heaved a sigh, and tried to collect his next words that could break Lenalee's heart.

"Listen, Lenalee, you're a beautiful princess, kind and full of compassion and strength... But the problem is..."

"You're not in love with me," finished Lenalee.

Allen's eyes grew wide with surprise. Princess Lenalee covered her giggle after looking at the confused prince's face.

"You don't have to smile if you don't want to smile, Allen. I already know that you're in love with someone else; your eyes tell me so," explained the observant princess, "So, then why did you agree to marry me?"

After this question was sounded, Allen's face dropped automatically. His mind too hurt to think of the answer. Lenalee, seeing Allen's sudden mood change, decided to change the question.

"If that is the case, then how about we just cancel the wedding?"

Then Allen's face perked back up. He wanted to hear someone asking him that question for a long time, and to actually hear it out loud was taking him by surprise. He stuttered as he retorted,

"H-How about the preparations? The King? Yours and my kingdom? How would they react if they find out the wedding's cancelled?"

Lenalee placed an assuring hand on his shoulder and gave him a comforting face.

"Don't worry about that. I can't marry someone who is being forced to marry. Let me talk to the people, you just concentrate on your own problem. Know that I will still be your friend, and will come and support you in your time of need," assured Lenalee.

After some assurance, Princess Lenalee left Allen, now her ex-fiancé. Allen was a bit relieved, but his heart was still in the gloominess. There was still his gnawing problem that starts with _La_ and ends with _Vi_.

"So, the wedding's over, huh?" broke a girly voice from his balcony window. Allen turned to see Road leaning on the wall with a lollipop in her mouth.

"Yes, it is, Road. Now could you go away, you're disturbing me," said Allen. A hug came from behind as Road whined,

"Auu, Allen. But I wanna play with you!"

"No, Road. Why don't you go play with Lulu Bell instead? I need to take a bath," without hearing her whiny pleas, he strode to his bathroom and closed the door, blocking her voice. He stripped himself and felt the warm water trickle down his smooth naked body. When he was changing back into his casual clothing, he heard a thud from his bedroom. Worried that Road had gotten herself in trouble again, he ran out and saw

Lavi standing by his desk, browsing through his paperwork. Out of pure excitement, he ran towards him and embraced him with open arms. Here he was, his lover, his best friend, back again! When Allen's body made contact with him, he felt his body turned cold…. Then a sharp pain was felt. He looked down and saw that a short knife had made its way through his stomach. Blood was seeping through his white shirt, clearly visible. Allen took a step back with shock scrawled all over his face. Then he glimpsed an unconscious Road lying on his bed, hidden in view by Lavi's body.

He looked at this newcomer once more, and realization hit him: This was not Lavi! He coughed out blood and fell to his knees, his energy abandoning his support.

"L-Lavi?"

The killer came forward, his hammer now unsheathed to its full size. His face was the face of… Nothingness. No emotions, no feelings. Just an empty cold-blooded mask. He lifts his hand back, readying the final blow that will kill the Emerald Kingdom prince. The arm's journey didn't end as it was intercepted by the sound of guns. He staggered back as his hand was injured by one of its bullets. Then two fast figures appeared in the room.

Jasdero and Devit were standing by Allen's side, protective stance showing clearly. Their guns aimed straight and true at the now Prince Deak. Their faces showed no playfulness, no joking around, but displayed hatred and true strength. They would protect Allen, as would all the Emerald Noahs would do. And if protecting Allen means to kill Deak without hesitation, then so be it. Deak must have felt that resolution emitting from them too, and he retreated into the shadows to fight another day. Devit crouched down on his knees to check on his prince's condition, worried etched on his face. Allen started to slip into unconsciousness as he remembered his last night with Lavi before he turned away.

**Flashback Starts**

"Lavi, are you awake?" whispered Allen, afraid that he had woken up the drowsing Noah. But Lavi opened his eye slowly and smiled serenely at him. His heart fluttered, knowing that he was showing his true smile that was shown only to him and him alone.

"I'm scared, Lavi…"

"Why?" asked Lavi, comforting the prince by supping his cheek gently.

"Because I'm worried that you'll leave me and I'll never see you again,"

The wise Noah only smiled. He hugged the prince tightly, and his next words gave comfort to the little prince.

"My grandfather advised me to tell the one I truly love this line, so that whenever they think they're lonely, they just have to remember this and they'll be alright:

For so long as you keep me in your thoughts, I will always be in your heart"

Allen started to get sleepy again, hearing Lavi's heart beating in sync with his. Lavi kept placing light soothing kisses on his silvery head, which too made him fall asleep. His eyes drooped heavily while his body began to feel light. As the last drop of awareness fell away, the last conscious thought that appeared in Allen's mind was that Lavi didn't deny his statement…..

**Flashback Ends**

A few days later, the mighty Sapphire Kingdom was at war with the powerful Emerald Kingdom. The Sapphirians were professionals in modern weapons while the Emeraldians were masters of magic. Both equal in strength and power, both thirsting for victory over the other. The scales are equal, but delicate; Just a small tip of fate's desire could turn a whole tide and pass advantage over to a side. But for now, both stood their ground bravely, sacrificing many innocent and guilty souls to the Heavens Above. Blood tempered with the crystal clear waters, tainting the lively grounds with its gory colour of pure red. Weapons clashed, shouts rang, and the sky cracked with thunder and lightning as if it too were at war.

In the Sapphire Kingdom's dungeon, Tyki lay on the stoned cold floor. His struggling with all his might to break the chains holding him was to no avail. He was back to full strength, but what good would that be if he couldn't be out there protecting his prince? Soft padded feet were heard and a black cat, ridden by a ragged doll, came into the cell. Tyki's heart filled with gladness and relived.

"Finally, you came!"

The cat turned into Lulu Bell while the doll morphed into Road. Both were wearing their full battle armours, their faces scarred with both fresh and old injuries from the war. Road brought out Tyki's personal battle armour while Lulu Bell struck the chain into little pieces effortlessly. The clangs of the pieces of the chain rang through the dungeon. Tyki got up and put his armour on, missing the feeling of the strong armour covering his body.

"Let's go, Noahs,"

The Emerald Noahs were fighting with their once family members, the Sapphire Noahs. They themselves carved a giant battlefield for their own, as each went against another. Both have same speed, same strength and weakness, same everything… With only one difference setting them apart: One side was liberated and the other still had their eyes hidden in the darkness. The thundering paltering rain fell down to the earth below as the angels above cried their tears, seeing such immortal mortals fought with every drop of their willpower. Magicians clashed with fighters, the sound of their cries brought both fear and hope to the surrounding soldiers. The war of the Noahs has begun.

In another battlefield, Prince Allen was going face to face with Prince Deak. Allen was in his own sleek black armour, while Deak was in elegantly dangerous white armour. One held a white sword with the ancient black cross and the other possessed a hammer of mighty size. One stood for protection over his land, the other fought for victory. They charged towards their enemy, with battle cries coming from their hoarse mouths. But when the blow was about to strike, the silver masked prince hesitated, leaving the merciless Sapphire prince an opening he was waiting for. His blow hit home, and the Emerald prince chocked back his pain as he was thrown backwards.

Allen felt himself being lifted up by the collar. Deak held his enemy up as he relished on the fact that he has defeated the Emerald Prince. Allen grasped his enemy's arms and nearly gagged on his words,

"Lavi, please come back to me, I know you're there…"

Deak, who was still holding him by the collar, moved his hand upwards to chock the prince by the neck. Allen couldn't care less that he was about to breath his last when he continued saying,

"Lavi, can't you hear my voice calling you? Come back, Lavi!"

Deak took his hammer and was ready to strike a blow when suddenly Allen's words rang inside his head. _Come back, Lavi!- Come back!-_

_COME BACK!_

Deak retreated back, dropping the confused Allen onto the ground. Flashes of his memories started to return, the broken glasses started to piece themselves back together again. But as the prince tried to fight back, the pitch darkness fought back, threatening to drag him back down to the pitch blackness again. The Earls' spell was too strong for him to overcome. _He's too powerful_, _I_ _can't move, too tired…._ His ray of light started to disappear again, covering him with the same darkness as before. This is it, he was going to drown in darkness again, forever haunted by nightmares and illusions. He was drained out of energy, and he wanted to embrace the shadows for all eternity just to let him rest in peace….

"LAVI!" Sliced the angelic voice through his mind.

An arm grabbed hold of the Sapphire prince's arm, pulling him upwards, towards the light. The darkness dissipates around him, almost as if they were afraid of the light. His nightmares disappear, the blackness turned lighter and brighter. Then he felt strong arms around him, he felt warmth and love. The same warmth and love as

"A-Allen?" Voiced out Lavi.

Allen was shivering, but he held the other prince in his arms tightly. Lavi brought himself back into the present and cradle Allen in his own arms. _He was bac!, Lavi was back!_ Both of them ran that same thought over and over again, till they both stopped their shaking. Lavi took Allen by the face, showing his lover that his eye now held life and adoration. Allen was completely undone, and kissed his lover with deep love. Lavi kissed back with the same amount of passion. There was no way the Earl is going to break them apart again, of that they can be certain.

A cry of pain was heard and the two lovers snapped back from their fantasy. Allen's eyes grew wide with fear as he saw his father being killed by the Earl. Out of fury, he charged towards the Earl. Lavi took up his hammer and joined the battle. The last battle.

The Earl was taken by surprise momentarily when he saw that Lavi was no longer Prince Deak. It was a 2-1 battle and the Earl was not to be taken lightly even then. With strict cooperation, Allen timed his attacks with Lavi's, each predicting the other's moves. The Earl laughed maniacally, ravishing every swing of his sword. But for every attempted attack he made, either Allen or Lavi was there to intercept it and the attack was reflected double fold. Soon, The Earl showed an opening, and as quickly as possible, both Allen and Lavi ran their weapons through the Earl. The Earl gave out one last loud laugh as his soul abandoned his body. The sky immediately turned brighter, rays of light pierced through the darkened clouds. The Emerald soldiers rang their cries of victory as their prince stood proudly with his Noah by his side. The day just got brighter….

Standing by the two thrones in the great Emerald throne room were two lucky love struck princes. One was wearing all white and silver, the other black and red. The two proud men knelt down as the head priest walked up towards them, his presence brought silence to the throne room. Everyone was present to this ceremony, a once in a lifetime ceremony. The Noahs, all of them, now stood at the side dressed in their formal wear. They had already announced their loyalty oath to their savior. Now it's the two princes' turn to take the spotlight. The priest cleared his throat, and all eyes and ears were given to the priest's next words as he takes out two crowns, presenting them proudly:

"I now pronounce the once Prince Deak of Sapphire Kingdom, now call King Lavi, husband to the King Allen, King of Emerald Kingdom" he placed one of the crowns on Lavi's head. Turning to the young man by his side, he takes the other crown.

"By the power vested in me, you shall be known as King Allen of Emerald Kingdom, husband to King Lavi," and he placed the other crown on the solemn king's head. The priest then shouted with all his might, followed by the shouts of victory and power by their people,

"_LONG LIVE THE KINGS! LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE KINGS! LONG LIVE THE KINGS!"_

As night fall and the sun descends upon the earth to bid the day goodbye, King Allen was taken by King Lavi into their bedroom, ready to forever seal their bond now and forever. They fell asleep into each other's arms, drained of energy, but filled with love for each other. Nothing can separate them now, because they know now that they loved each other from the bottom of their hearts.

_-LONG LIVE THE KINGS-_

* * *

_Well, hope you enjoy this story! Now we've come to an end, and I must take a bow. Thank you sooooo much to **sammi117, ****Carottal**, Death-Sama01, SoulNinjas, DGM-medieval, silverXshadow, fallendestinyxx, FullmetalFan16, Anim110, **alwaysstaygray**__**, **_**3littleredbird3****, ****infinityXnova, Foshidelic Reika, MercenaryCrime, kh07gl**,** ME, You Still Love Me, Anon Novelist,** **and MerziaSeria **_for your love and support. Long live LaviXAllen! =D__  
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